Infineon announced that mobile handset vendor LG Electronics is using its innovative REAL3 image sensor chip with Time-of-Flight (ToF) technology in the selfie camera of the company’s upcoming LG G8 ThinQ smartphone, which will be unveiled in Barcelona during Mobile World Congress 2019. The camera is hoped to improve selfies and facial recognition. It is also ideal for implementation in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications.

3D TOF front camera in LG G8

The innovative 3D sensor chip builds upon the combined expertise of Infineon and pmdtechnologies in algorithms for processed 3D point clouds (a set of data points in space produced by 3D scanning), to offer a new level of front camera capability in a smartphone, the announcement noted.

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While other 3D technologies use complex algorithms to calculate an object’s distance from the camera lens, the ToF image sensor chip delivers more accurate measurements by capturing infrared light as it is reflected off the subject. As a result, ToF is faster and more effective in ambient light, reducing the workload on the application processor thereby also reducing power consumption.

And due to its fast response speed, ToF technology is widely used in various biometric authentication methods, such as face-recognition. What’s more, because ToF sees objects in 3D and is not affected by light from external sources, it delivers an excellent recognition rate, both indoors and out, ideal for implementation in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications.

Infineon said that it has developed the ToF technology featured in the LG G8 ThinQ for use in both premium, high-end smartphones as well as mid-end devices.

“Infineon is poised to revolutionize the market,” said Andreas Urschitz, division president of Infineon’s Power Management & Multimarket division. “We have demonstrated service beyond the mere product level – specifically catering to phone OEMs, associated reference design houses and camera module manufacturers. Within five years, we expect 3D cameras to be found in most smartphones and Infineon will contribute a significant share.”

“Keeping in mind LG’s goal to provide real value to its mobile customers, our newest flagship was designed with ToF technology from inception to give users a unique and secure verification system without sacrificing camera capabilities,” said Chang Ma, senior vice president and head of Product Strategy at LG Mobile Communications Company. “The LG G8 ThinQ featuring ToF will be the optimal choice for users in search of a premium smartphone that offers unmatched camera capabilities.”